Closure



E. C. GIBSON CLOSURE Filed Dec. 18, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 (vill INVENTOR. EUGL-NEC G/BSON ATTO/QNE VS E. C. GIBSON Dec. 22, 1959 CLOSURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 18, 1957 INVENTOR. E UGE/VE C G/BS ON Bi /m A TTO/QNEYS Una States Patent 0 2,917,785 CLOSURE Eugene C. Gibson, Havertown, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Chemstrand Corporation, Decatur, Ala, a corporation of Delaware Application December 18, 1957, Serial No. 703,674

7 Claims. (Cl. 19-66) This invention relates to a closure and more particularly to a closure for a chamber of the type such as that found in apparatus for crimping material such as an elongated rope or tow composed of filaments formed from such synthetic resinous compositions as acrylonitrile polymers and the like.

In the preparation of fibers and filaments of synthetic material such as acrylics, polyesters and the like, the spun filaments lack some of the highly desirable qualities of natural fibers such as wool. For instance, the warmth and softness of wool fabrics are derived in part from the undulations or crimps in the wool fibers. It is, therefore, highly desirable that synthetic filaments be produced with such crimps in order to duplicate such highly desirable natural fiber qualities.

In one such apparatus commercially used today for producing these crimps in filamentary material, a crimping chamber or stutfiug box is employed into which a plurality of continuous filaments, generally in the form of a continuous tow, are stuffed by means of a pair of peripherally smooth cooperating rolls. A pivoted arm or clapper yieldingly loaded is associated with this stufiing box which creates a stufiing action or piling up of the tow in the box until the accumulated crimped tow overcomes the loading force of the clapper and is ejected out of the box. In many of such crimping arrangements steam is injected into the box so that the crimps thus formed in the tow are permanently set by the moistening and heating action of the steam.

As such crimping arrangements are generally operated continuously, periodic inspection of the interior of the box or crimping chamber is necessary to insure proper functioning as well as to remove accumulated small fibers and lint which collects on the clapper or rolls. Such fibrous accumulation results from both inferior spinning conditions as well as the natural tendency of the filamentary tow to shed particles during the crimping process. Removable cover plates or closures have been provided in previous constructions to permit this box inspection and have been mounted by means of screws, bolts or the like. Such closure mounting arrangements, therefore, have required considerable time for removal and replacement resulting in loss due to equipment shutdown. Furthermore, as steam is injected into the stufling box, both this closure as well as the mounting screws become very hot requiring a long cool-down period prior to removal to avoid discomfort to the operator. Frequently the operator did not wait for the apparatus to cool, and bums were suifered, hot screws were dropped, and the hot cover plate with its finely machined inner wall was dropped or placed improperly after removal causing scratches and other damage.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a new and novel closure for a chamber.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and novel closure or cover plate for the stufifing box or chamber in crimping apparatus which may be re- 2,917,785 Patented Dec. 22, 1959 ice moved and replaced in a quick and simple manner while in a heated condition.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved removable side closure for a tow crimp ing chamber which is arranged to be removed as a unit and which eliminates the need for mounting screws, bolts, and similar closure attaching devices.

This invention further contemplates the provision of a new and novel closure for the stuffing box in a crimping apparatus which permits the operator to remove and replace the closure in a simple manner with one hand without contacting heated surfaces while leaving the other hand free to remove collected fibers and the like from the box.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a removable closure for a stufiing box employed in a crimping apparatus which is simple in nature, inexpensive to manufacture, and which is capable of prolonged use without danger of breakdown.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

The objects of this invention are accomplished by providing a closure which includes a panel member for closing one side of a chamber such as a stuffing box commonly found in crimping apparatus. Cooperating guide means are provided on the crimping apparatus and panel member for locating the panel member and guiding it into the chamber closing position under the control of an operator. Means are provided on the panel member which facilitate the locating of the panel member in the chamber closing position which cooperate with the guide means so that the operator can fixedly secure the panel member in the chamber closing position on the apparatus in a simple and easy manner with only one hand.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and methods of operation may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is an elevation view of a portion of crimping apparatus with which the invention is associated showing the closure in the locked position;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of the apparatus of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 4--4 of Figure l; and

Figure 5 is a front view of a closure constructed in accordance with the invention removed from the crimping apparatus of Figure 1 and in the unlocking position.

As generally illustrative of the invention there is shown in Figure 1 through 4 a crimping apparatus with which the invention is associated. It should be understood, however, that although the invention is particularly applicable to crimping apparatus and will be described hereinafter in that connection, it may be applied to similar apparatus wherein it is desired to close a chamber by means of a panel or the like.

As shown in Figure l, the crimping apparatus which is of the type for forming a plurality of crimps in a filamentary tow formed of synthetic material such as acrylonitrile polymers or the like comprises a pair of peripherally smooth feed rolls 12, 13 mounted on drive shafts 14, 16, respectively, which are driven by any suitable means (not shown) positioned within a housing designated generally by the numeral 17. These rolls 12, 13 are arranged to advance a filamentary tow (not shown) of any well known type in the direction indicated by the arrow H into a crimping chamber or stuffing box designated generally by the numeral 18.

The stufiing box 18 is provided with a rear wall 19, which in'the'preferred embodimentmay be part of the housing 17, and a pair of side walls or doctor blades 21, 22. The doctor blades 21,22 are suitably secured by means such as screws 23 .to the rear wall 19 and as shown doctor blade 21 is of reduced length to accommodate a crimping blade or clapper 24 pivoted at 26 to the rear wall 19.;

As is well known, the clapper 24 pivots into the interior or crimping chant-ber 27 of the stuffing box 13 as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, and is urged inwardly by means of any adjustably positioned weight 28 mounted onan arm 29 secured in any suitable mannor .to the clapper 24. Thus, in the well known manner, the inwardly urged clapper 24 forms an inclined door which causes the 'tow' -fed into the box '18 by the rolls to pile up or accumulate and induce a crimping action in the tow until the mass of tow within the box becomes so excessive as to pivot the clapper 24 outwardly against the loading action of weight 28, and the crimped tow is discharged from the bottom opening 31 of the box 18 into a suitable container.

In previous constructions, the box 18 was provided with a front wall or closure of any suitable construction in accordance with the shape of the box and was socured to the box in a removable manner by means such as screws, bolts and the like. By providing a removable panel member the operator was able to conduct periodic inspections of the interior of the box 18 to remove accumulated fibers and inspect the condition of the parts. The use of screws or bolts which had to be removed and replaced, as well as the heated condition of :the box 18 when steam was injected into the box made this job time consuming and dangerous to the operator .in that removal was difficult, parts were dropped causing damage and loss, and the temperature of the panel member often burned an impatient operator.

Means, therefore, have been provided with this invention to enable the closure, designated generally by the numeral 32, to be removed quickly and easily regardless of its temperature.

More specifically, asshown best in Figure 5, the closure 32 includes a panel member 33 which may .be of any desired configuration in accordance with the construction of the crimping apparatus. The panel member 33 is arranged to close the interior 27 of the stufiing box 18 and permits the pivotal movement of the clapper bar 24 during the crimping operation. The panel member 33 is also preferably provided with an upper portion 34 for preventing lateral movement of the tow as it advances through the rolls 12, 13.

In order to locate the panel member 33 in the closing position of Figure 1 cooperating guide means are provided on the crimping apparatus and panel member which in the preferred embodiment include a plurality of loeating pins 35. The pins 35 are preferably screwthreaded for mounting within suitable recesses in the doctor blades 21, 22 as shown best in Figure 3. These locating pins 35 are arranged to be inserted through corresponding openings-36 in the panel member 33 when it is located in the chamber closing position and are provided with a portion of reduced diameter 37 adjacent the pin head 38.

Means engageable with the locating pins 35 are provided for fixedly securing the panel member 33 in the position of Figure 1 such as a locking plate 39 (Figures 1, 4) slidably mounted on the forward surface of the panel member 33. The locking plate 39 is provided with a portion 41 containing a plurality of slots 42 commonly known as the keyhole type. The slots 42 are positioned so as to correspond to the location of the pins 35. The circular portion 43 of the slots may be aligned with the panel member openings 36 by movement 4 of the locking plate 39 so as to admit the forwardly extending portion of the locating pins when the panel member is in the chamber closing position.

As shown best in Figure 3, means are provided for securing the panel member 33 to the locating pins 35 by means of the locking plate 39, the upper portion 41 of which is tapered in a direction substantially parallel to the slots 42. More specifically, the keyhole slots 42 are constructed so that their elongated portion 44 receives the necked-down portion 37 of the pins 35 when the locking plate 39 is moved into the position shown in Figure 1. In this position, the locking plate portion 41 permits it to be wedged between the locking pin head 38 and the panel member 33.

Means have been provided for moving the locking plate 39 between the position shown in Figure 5 in which the closure 32 may be removed or loosely mounted on the crimping apparatus and the locking position of Figure 1 More specifically, as shown in Figure 3, a pair of opposed bearing pedestals 46 are secured by means such as bolts 47 to the panel member 33. The pedestals 46 are arranged to support bearings 48 which rotatably accommodate the opposite ends of a stub shaft 49 on which a drive pinion 51 is fixedly mounted. The drive pinion 51 as shown best in Figure 4, is arranged to drivably engage with a rack 52 which is fixedly secured in any suitable way such as by welding or the like to an exten sion 53 on the locking plate 39.

As shown in Figures 1 and 4 the extension 53 together with the rack is accommodated between the bearing pedestals 46 and guidably moves therebet-ween. In order to rotate the pinion 51 means such as an operating handle 54 composed of a heat insulating material such as wood or the like is secured by means of a rod 56 to a radially extending internally threaded recess 57 in the pinion 51. If desired, the inner end of the rod 56 may be employed to secure the pinion 51 fixedly on its supporting shaft 49.

In order to insure that the locking plate 39 is centered accurately during its movement, additional plate guide means may be provided such as a guide pin 58 suitably secured to the panel member 33 which slides along a cooperating guide slot 59 in the locking plate 39 during its movement. 7

When it is desired to assemble the closure 32 to the crimping apparatus of Figure l, the operating handle 54 is grasped by the operator and rotated upwardly so that.

the locking plate 39 is moved into the position of Figure 4. The slot portions 43 are, therefore, in alignment with the panel member openings 36 to permit the locating pins 35 to be inserted therethrough until the head 38 projects as shown and the panel member is in the chamber closing position. Locking of the closure in this chamber closing position may be accomplished by moving the operating handle 54 downwardly to move the locking plate 39 upwardly relative to thepanel member 33 so that the pin portion 37 moves within the slot portion 44 and the above described wedging action is obtained. This wedging engagement between the locking plate and the pins 35 holds the panel member 33 securely in the closing position and the moving parts in the closure are maintained in this locked position as a result of the frictional holding forces. 7

As will be understood, when the chamber 27 of the stuffing box 18 is to be inspected, the closure 32 may be removed quickly and without the need for the operator to contact the metal portions by merely returning the handle 54 to its upper position wherein the cooperating parts are unlocked and the locking pins may be withdrawn from the panel member openings 36.

It can be seen that with the novel construction of the invention periodic inspections of the stuifing box in crimping apparatus may be carried out in a minimum of time so that the time lost from apparatus shutdown is held to an absolute minimum. Furthermore, there is no possibility of parts becoming lost or damaged as the novel construction of the invention permits the panel member and its locking assembly to be removed as a unit, and the operator during his inspection and maintenance may grasp the closure with one hand leaving his other hand free for the necessary work. Furthermore, the simple construction of the invention and the inexpensive parts employed provide a low initial cost, and replacement is no longer of any serious economic consideration.

While there has been described what at present is considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and, therefore, it is the aim of the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A closure for a crimping apparatus having a crimping chamber comprising, in combination, a panel member, cooperating guide means on said crimping apparatus and said panel member for locating said panel member in a chamber closing position, means on said panel member movable into wedging engagement with said guide means for fixedly securing said panel member in said chamber closing position, and means for withdrawing said movable means from said wedging engagement to permit removal of said panel member.

2. A closure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cooperating guide means comprise a plurality of locking pins on said crimping apparatus and a plurality of openings on said panel member for receiving said locking pins when said panel member is in said chamber closing position.

3. A closure for a crimping apparatus having a crimping chamber comprising, in combination, a panel member, a plurality of locking pins on said crimping apparatus, a plurality of openings on said panel member for receiving said locking pins when said panel member is located in a chamber closing position, a locking plate slidably mounted on said panel, and means for moving said locking plate into engagement with said locking pins to fixedly secure said panel member in said chamber closing position.

4. A closure for a crimping apparatus having a crimping chamber comprising, in combination, a panel member, a plurality of locking pins on said crimping apparatus, a plurality of openings on said panel member for receiving said locking pins when said panel member is in a chamher closing position, a locking plate slidably mounted on said panel, a plurality of locking slots in said locking plate, means for moving said locking plate between a panel member locating position for admitting said locking pins through said slots when said panel member is in a chamber closing position and a locking position for lockingly engaging said slots with said locking pins to fixedly secure said panel member in said chamber closing position.

5. A closure in accordance with claim 5 wherein said locking pins are provided with a portion of reduced diameter engageable receivable within said slot, and said locking plate is tapered in the slot extending direction for wedging engagement between said locking pins and said panel member when said plate is moved into said locking position.

6. A closure in accordance with claim 4 wherein said locking plate moving means include a rack secured to said lo -king plate, a pinion rotatably mounted on said panel member engageable with said rack, and an operating handle for rotating said pinion and moving said locking plate selectively between said panel member locating position and said locking position.

7. A closure for a crimping apparatus having a crimping chamber comprising, in combination, a panel member, a plurality of locking pins on said crimping apparatus, a portion of reduced diameter on said locking pins, a plurality of openings on said panel member for receiving said locking pin when said panel member is in a chamber closing position, a locking plate slidably mounted on said panel, a plurality of keyhole slots in said locking plate, said locking plate being tapered in the slot extending direction, a rack secured to said locking plate, a pinion rotatably mounted on said panel member engageable with said rat k, an operating handle for rotating said pinion and moving said locking plate into a position for admitting said locking pins through the enlarged portions of said slots when said panel member is in a chamber closing position, said operating handle arranged to move said locking plate to a locking position wherein said pin reduced diameter portion is received within said keyhole slot and said locking plate wedgingly engages between said locking pin and said panel member to fixedly secure said panel member in said chamber closing position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

